Centrifugal clutch.



No.a4s,19s. PATENTBD MAR. 5, 1907. J. FELLOWS.

GBNTRIFUGAL CLUTCH. upmounox FILED rn n. 15.1901;

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I V A 17 z I IPATENTED MAIL-5, 190-1.

'Jm FELLOWS, GENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION PILED FEB. 15. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

out against the rim d of the shell D.

' UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JOSEPH FELLOWS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ENTERPRISE MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5,1907.

Application filed February 15,1904. Serial No- 193,642.

To all whom it naly concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FELLows, a citizen of the United St ates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Centrifugal Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct the clutch that the driven element will not be engaged until the driving element has attained a certain speed.

My 'invention is especially applicable in coupling a single-phase alternating-current motor with any machine to which power is to be applied. This object I attain inthe following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectionalview on the line 1 1, Fig. .2, with the casing in outside view. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2,.Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the expandin element. Fig. 4 is a perspective view 0 the disk secured to the driving element, and Fig. 5 isa View showing the action when the clutch is driven.

In the present instance, 'A is a drivingshaft, to which is secured a hub B, having a.

disk B. "D is a hub loose on the shaft A and having a shell D, on which is a rim (1, inclosin the clutch mechanism.

F is the clutch element, consisting of two segmental arms E E the arms being pivoted together at e, so that they can swing X- tending from one segmental arm to the other 1s a spring F, coupled at f f to said armsin any suitable manner. This spring acts against centrifugal force to draw the arms together and away from the shell, and the tension of this spring can be modified as desired to quicken or retard the clutching action. In each arm in the present instance are two openings "6 e for the reception of a pin b, projectin from the inner surface of the disk B. W en it is wished to rotate the clutch element in the direction of the arrow,

Fig. 5, then the pin is placed in the opening e of the arm'E but when the element is to i be rotated in the opposite direction then the pin is placed in the opening 6 of the arm E as the movement is preferably toward the pivot-pin e. In the present-instance the Openings 6 and e are much larger than the pin b, so as to allow the arms to have free movement to seat themselves against the inner surface of the flange.

b b are pins on the disk B, four in the present instance, which limit the inward movement of the arms E and E keeping the clutch element in a central position and preventing it from rattling. project from the disk B as a substitute for the pins in some instances.

My invention is especially applicable for coupling driving and driven elements in which the driven element should not be coupled to the driving element until the driving element has attained a certain speedsuch, for instance, as a single-phase alternating-current motor.-

By the use of such a coupling as described I can rotate the shaft A and its disk B freely without the arms being thrown into engagement with the driven disk D until themotor has attained its full speed, when the arms will be thrown out by centrifugal force to the full extent, as shown in Fig. 5, and will put sufficient'pressure upon the flange of the shell A flange may of a driving element and a flanged riven ele" ment, a pin on the driving element, a clutch element consisting of two arms ivoted together, an opening in one of sai arms at a point at onev side of the ivot through which extends the pin of the riving element, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a centrifugal clutch, of a driving element having a pin rojecting from its inner surface, a flanged riven element, a clutch element consisting of two arms pivoted together, and a spring for retracting said arms, each arm havin an opening at one side of the pivot-point or the reception of the driving-pin, substantially'as described.

4. The combination of a shaft, a driven shell and a driving-disk mounted on the shaft a flange on the shell, two arms loosely mounted Within the shell pivoted together at one end, a spring connecting the free ends of the arms together, an opening in each arm near the pivot, and a pin on the driving-disk extending into one of the openings in the arms, substantially asdescribedv 5. The combination of a driving element and a driven element, clutch mechanism consisting of two arms pivoted together and pivoted to the driving element, means for drawing the arms together and stops to limit the inward movement of the arms, substantially pins projecting from the driving-disk acting to limit the inward movement of the arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

JOSEPH FELLOWS. Witnesses: CHARLES C. NORRIS, Jr.,

WILL. A. BARR. 

